Memories
by high0212
Summary: Sweet Ben/Leslie story where they don't realize who each other is. This is post episode "Ann & Chris" but prior "Anniversaries" in season 6.


Ugh, it was too early to be awake. With all of his strength he raised his body up just enough to see over Leslie to peek at the alarm clock. He was relieved to see he could lay there for a while before it would go off. He curled up to Leslie and held his breath so he could make out what she was saying in her sleep. He made out what he believed was an inaugural speech. He ran his hand across her body before squeezing her around the waist. She let out a soft "umm" while scooting her head next to his. He peppered her face and neck with kisses just enjoying the feel of her body next to his. She raised her head up to get nose to nose to her husband.

"I love you and I like you, Ben Wyatt" she said smiling before letting her head hit her pillow.

"I love you and I like you Leslie Knope" he said kissing her again.

He pulled her close, wrapping his arms tightly around her.

The alarm started blaring, breaking in over their beautiful moment together. He gently slide out from under her to turn off the alarm. She rolled over on her belly moaning to make the sound to stop. As soon as the room fell quiet and he got back comfortable again. Leslie popped out of bed, full of energy, ready to start her day. He wanted to fall back asleep.

"C'mon, it's time to get ready for work." She said patting him on the butt.

"Wow, you are amazing," He mumbled.

...

"I can't believe how perfect my life is in this very moment," Leslie said smiling to Ben as they sat in the car at a red light on their way to work. Ben smiled a yeah as he looked at her, more in love than ever. They were both gazing into each others eyes. The light turned green and he hit the gas, but before he even had a chance to react, a truck smashed into Ben's driver door throwing their sedan across the highway.

...

April and Andy walked up to Ron standing outside of the hospital room.

"Tell me she's okay," April begs Ron.

"She's alive, but I don't know any more than that right now." Ron says, trying to hold back any tears.

"I have to see her," she says to him.

"I don't think that's a good idea, she's pretty rough" he said firmly.

Donna, Tom, and Larry walk in.

"We came as soon as we heard" Larry said to Ron.

"I need the dets, how is she?" Tom asked.

"She is fairing better then Ben" Ron informed them.

"Was Ben in the car too?" Andy asked.

"He's been transferred to the Methodist Trauma Center on 86th in Indy." Ron tells him.

The doctor walks out of the room.

"Can I see her?" April asked the dr.

"Are you her family?" the dr. asked.

"The only one she has" Ron said looking the dr straight in the eye.

"Well, she has a long road of recovery ahead of her, but I think she will be fine. However, in the meantime, I'm afraid she doesn't remember anything, or anyone. Is there an Ann here?"

Everyone shakes their head no.

"She keeps asking for her, even though she doesn't remember who she is. You can see her, but she is still pretty fragile."

"Does she remember anything up to her accident?" Ron asked.

"Not people, although the name Ann seems to keep coming to mind for her and she's not sure why. To be honest, I think it's best not to mention her husband's current condition just yet. I'm not sure her body can handle the stress right now" the dr. tells the group.

"She really loves Ann, unfortunately, she just moved out of state and it tomorrow before she arrives." Ron replies.

"Is there anything you know about Ben?" Donna asked Ron.

"He's been induced into a coma, but honestly, they won't know anything until the swelling subsides and they can see more clearly what's going on, from what I understand for now, he's stable. Chris and Ann are going to stop and see him on their way here"

...

After a few hours, everyone has returned to the office except Ron who just sits at the foot of Leslie's bed, in silence. The nurse walks in and hands him a box. He looks inside to find Leslie and Ben's personal belongings. Her purse, a three ring binder, and envelope with their wedding rings, their watches, cell phones and Ben's wallet.

"We do not like valuables left here" she tells Ron.

"I will give them to her mother as soon as she returns," he says looking at the box.

"You were named power of attorney; you are to make all health decisions on both Leslie and Ben. I can have a social worker come speak to you about your rights and responsibilities."

"No thank you, I understand"

...

A few weeks go by, and Ron receives a phone call from the hospital asking him to come down. Ron walks into Leslie's room as he does everyday, she's smiles at him, but has no idea who he is.

"Are you my husband" Leslie asks Ron.

"Good God woman, no" Ron laughs.

"The nurse told me I was married, but I don't remember. Do you know my husband, where is he?" she asks.

"He is in a hospital in Indy, recovering too. He was hurt pretty badly, and is going to take a while to be back to himself." Ron explains to her.

"They want to send me to a rehabilitation center, so I can walk again." She says.

"I will keep an eye on you. I just signed the papers to have you sent. You are Leslie fucking Knope. You will be back on your feet in no time."

"I hope, someday, I can be as good of a friend to you, as you have been to me in here." she says.

"You have no idea." Ron says smiling.

Ron starts to walk out of the hospital when he is approached by another nurse.

"Mr. Swanson?" she says stopping him.

"Yes,"

"You are sending Ms. Knope to Pawnee Rehab & Senior living, correct?" she asked.

"That is correct."

"We received a call today, regarding Mr. Wyatt, his dr. has successfully brought him out of his medical coma. His progress looks very promising. Would you like him sent to Pawnee Rab as well?"

"That is fine, I will visit him tomorrow and make arrangements."

...

Leslie awakes to the awful smell of the nursing home. She looks around the ugly plain room she has been living in for what seems forever. She has several friends who keep stopping by, but she can't remember being friends with any of them. She doesn't understand why everyone keeps blowing her off when she asks about her mystery husband. Ron finally told her that he had memory loss as well and was recovering in Indy. She wishes she could just remember his face.

The nurse takes her for her daily walk down the hall way. Her steps are improving each day. However, today, sitting down at the end of the hall starring out the window at the wild flowers is a man in a wheel chair she has never seen before. She asks her nurse who he is.

"He just got here yesterday, he's not my patient so I'm afraid I don't know much yet, do you think you know him?" the nurse asked.

"I don't know, I mean, I don't remember, but he looks familiar," Leslie says.

"All I was told is that he is recovering from brain injury and that all of his family lives out of state."

Dinner comes and she is wheeled into the cafeteria. She sees the man again and asks if she can sit next to him.

"Hi, I'm Leslie, or so I'm told" she says, taking her hand out to shake his.

He reveals his right arm is in a cast, but offers his left anyway.

"Everyone calls me Wyatt, you know, you look really familiar," he says, not realizing who she is.

"Oh, I was hoping you would say Ben. Is your last name Knope?"

"You know, I don't know, why do you ask?" he asks.

"I don't know who my husband is, I was hoping maybe you were him, you kind of look like him from the pictures I've seen. Apparently the only pictures I kept of him on my desk at work were side profile pictures of the two of us, no good face shoots." she says awkwardly.

"Oh, I don't know if I'm married, I forgot to ask. I don't have a ring on, so I'm guessing not. I did just get all my hair buzzed off though."

"You don't remember?" she asks.

"I was in a car wreak, all I remember is waking up in the hospital. I was told I had been in there for a long time, but I can't remember anything. I started to improve so I was sent here because my family all lives out of state." he says.

"That's awful, but kind of my situation as well. My mother wants me to stay here for the physical therapy. She works a lot and there isn't who can help me get around during the day. Once I regain all my strength though, I'm out of this hell hole."

"I just got here, but if this is hell and I have to spend eternity with you, call me a sinner."

Leslie just smiles.

"So, Leslie, what time do you eat breakfast, I would love to eat with you again,"

"You got to get here at 4:30 sharp before all the whipped cream is gone."

"I now realize that is an absurd pipe dream, can I see you tomorrow for lunch instead?"

"I'ld like that"

...

The days go by one after another and Leslie finds herself obsessing over Wyatt and spends her free time making lists on how to make his recovery process better. The only thing that keeps Leslie from going crazy is the moments of her day she sees Wyatt. She stops asking and thinking about her real husband, because if she doesn't know about him, then it doesn't feel like cheating when she's with Wyatt. She starts sabotaging and lying about her progress just so she can stay longer to spend more time with him. She doesn't understand how she can have such a strong connection to a stranger.

...

"What are you looking at?" Leslie asks as she rolls her wheel chair up to Wyatt's chair.

"There's just one wild flower left." he tells her.

They look out the window over the empty field. The season was changing.

"It looks so lonely" she says.

"When I first came here, there were flowers every where. I miss that. I liked to just look at them. I'm not sure, but there is an image of a painting in my mind of the same wild flowers. I don't know where I seen it, but I know I like it. This field is like the real life version of that painting."

"Except the flowers in paintings don't die,"

Wyatt reaches over and puts his arm around her and gently kisses her on top of her head. They just sit there, looking out the window. Wheelchair to wheelchair.

...

It's walking day, and nurses come into Wyatt's room with a walker. He's taken a few steps here and there but now they want him to try and go down the hall. He gets a few doors down, when he looks over and sees Leslie sitting there on the edge of her bed with a book in her hand. Her hair pulled back, no make up, no fancy clothes. She looks naturally beautiful. Whoever her husband is, he is a lucky bastard, he thinks to himself. Seeing her each day is the only thing he has from killing himself in this awful depressing place. His nurse walked him back to his room and he just laid there on his bed all evening, not able to get Leslie's face out of his mind. He's half asleep when he hears a knock at his open door. It's Leslie, standing there holding a walker, by herself.

"Do you mind if I come in?" She asks.

Wyatt sits up, and waves her in.

"I had the most awful dream. Can I just sit here with you for awhile."

"Come here," scooting over to one side of the bed.

They both lay down on their backs next to each other side by side on the bed.

"You don't mind me laying in your bed?" she asks.

"You can lay in my bed anytime," he laughs.

He fights back his overwhelming urge to hold her tight.

"What was your dream about?" he asks.

"Silly really, but it was so real, it was like a flash of a real memory, but I was in a room, like a court room, and I was on trial. I was scared because I was in huge trouble for dating you. I was trying to convince everyone that I didn't do anything wrong." She explains.

Wyatt grabs her hand, "I don't think anyone is going to put you on trial for dating anyone." he says.

"It was so real, it shook me up, I'm sure it's because sometimes I feel like I'm cheating on my husband." she says.

Wyatt let go of her hand. "You haven't done anything wrong Leslie, except be an amazing friend to me." he assures her.

They both just lie there, until they both doze off. An hour or so passes by and Leslie is awaken by the sound of Wyatt's roommate flushing the toilet. The man comes out of the bathroom, smiles at them and closes the curtain to his side of the room behind him. She realizes Wyatt is curled up on his side with his arm on her waist. She looks at his cute face, and kisses him softly on his cheek. She can't help but wonder why she's never felt so safe. She smiles and wonders if he is dreaming about her. She is tempted to "accidentally" brush her hand across his butt but decides against it. She sits up and grabs her walker to pull herself up. She slowly walks back to her lonely bed down the hall.

...

Leslie looks up to see Wyatt walking around on his walker holding it with his one good arm.

She loves looking up to that smile. He sat down beside her in the foyer.

"My progress has improved, the doctors are coming Monday to assess me. If that goes well, I can be released next week." She said, with mixed emotion.

"That's good, but, I'll miss you." He says with all honesty.

"Yeah, it's been really nice getting to know you, I promise to come back and visit."

"I'll hold you to that, I wish I could remember more about my life to share with you. Getting to know you has been amazing, at least the you that you remember, so is your husband getting you?"

"Who, oh, my husband, you know, I still haven't met him. I'm going to be living with my mother until he gets better, I'm still nervous to meet him. I honestly haven't thought about him for months"

"Do you think you two were happy together?"

Leslie, looks down sad, like she hasn't thought about that.

"I'm sorry, that's was out of line," Wyatt apologizes.

"oh, oh, no, it's okay, I don't know. I try not to think about him or ask questions. I didn't want him to come between our friendship" she says.

"I know this isn't my place, but I feel we should at least talk about this, I really look forward to the parts of my day that I get to spend with you."

"me too"

"I know you are married and we can't be together, but please, just tell me, the way I feel, this isn't just me?"

"No, no, it's not just you"

Wyatt smiles at her.

"Excuse me, I have to go to the whiz palace." Leslie says suddenly and frantically, as she rushes toward her room.

Wyatt rubs his head, knowing he may have just screwed up the friendship of the only friend he had. He walks backs down to his room and falls on his bed.

Cussing himself out, looking at the ceiling. He hears foot steps and he looks over, and before he can react, Leslie is on top of him, in his bed, making out with him. He wraps his good arm around her neck and grabs her blonde curls.

He realizes he's making out with a married woman that he's also kind of obsessed with. As much as he's turned on, he can't help but think she is still married and he's in a nursing home with a roommate with a door that doesn't lock. He thinks this is it, he wants her, he does, more than anything, but not here, not like this. Someone walks by, and he practically pushes her off of him. She gets the memo, and stands up, wiping off his spit from the corner of her mouth.

"Wow, you're beautiful" he says to her, wishing he had the strength to stand up and hold her.

She turns around to leave the room.

"I like you," he cries out.

She stops.

"I mean, I love you, and I like you too." he says.

She leaves the room anyway, and avoids him at all cost. He can't believe he blurted that out. He feels like an idiot.

A few days later, discharge day finally comes, she's gets released to her mother who is waiting on her with all of her things. She decides she has to at least say goodbye and see him one last time. She thinks about him all the time and misses him like crazy.

He is eating soup, in his wheel chair, alone. She leans down and kisses him on the cheek and tells him goodbye. He looks up at her, "I hate that it's ending like this, will I ever see you again" he asks.  
>She leans down and whispers in his ear, "I love you Wyatt, and I like you."<p>

"I'm going to miss you" he says back to her. She smiles and walks away toward the front entrance where her mother is waiting.

"How is he doing? Marlene asks Leslie.

Leslie, half confused as to why she is interested, informs her that he is improving. Marlene doesn't say anything and drives to Leslie and Ben's house. Leslie gets out of the car and looks at Marlene.

"Is this your house?" Leslie asked.

"You still don't remember honey, this is your house, I thought you might want to get some things. You know, the staff said you and Ben were able to spend a lot of time together, I'm so glad you remembered him." Marlene said as she was unlocking the door.

"Remember him, what do you mean, who is he?" she asks desperately as they made their way in the house.

"Ben Wyatt, your husband, as much time you two spent together, everyone just assumed you remembered him." She said matter of factly.

Leslie looked completely dumbfounded, as her mom grabbed a wedding picture off a shelf and handed it to her.

"You got to take me back, right now, I have to see him!" Leslie says stomping back to the car.

Marlene drives Leslie back to rehab center and as Leslie was about to jump out she yells to her "Oh honey, get in the trunk, some of his things are back there."

Leslie lifts the trunk hood and reveals a box of her and Ben's personal belongings. She turns the envelope upside down and two wedding rings fall out. She places the diamond one on her hand and fists the other band tightly in her grip.

Marlene just sits in the car as Leslie buzzes in the old building. She marches down to Ben's room where he's lying on his bed watching tv. He looks at her shocked to see her and she doesn't even say hi while she shuts his door and pushes a chair in front so no one can enter.

"What are you doing?" Ben asks confused.

"What I've wanted to do for such a long time." she says, with determination.

She craws on his bed and starts making out with him.

He just lays there, confused, but not arguing.

"What is going on here?" he asks pushing her back.

She starts telling him everything she loves about him.

"Okay, are you dying or something?" he asks.

"Did you enjoy that?" she asks giggly after kissing him again.

"Yeah, but what will your husband Ben think of this?" he asks kind of scared.

"That's what I wanted to know." She grins showing off her new bling.

"Are you trying to rub it in my face that your amazing and married?" he says, half pissed.

Leslie smiles again, and then unfolds her hand that she's had in a tight fist the entire time. He looks down, even more confused.

"I know, we don't remember each other, but I want to spend the rest of our life figuring that out." she says, pushing the band on his ring finger. A perfect fit.

"What are you doing? Have you completely lost your mind?" he asks.

"Your name is Ben Wyatt, you are my husband, I saw the wedding pictures again, you Ben Wyatt, are my mystery husband Ben" she says excitedly.

Ben reaches around her back and pulls her to him, kissing her like it was the first time he had ever truly kissed anyone.

They knew their memory would return one day, and that day, they both looked forward to. Together.


End file.
